Please Come to Terms with Reality
by GenFreeson
Summary: Kathleen is just your average, lower class Irish teenager. Her family lives in Seattle, and she was just trying to get to work one day when some men attacked her. Luckily, she was found, almost dead, by a certain Carisle Cullen. Bella doesn't exist.
1. Chapter 1: Kathleen's Rhapsody

God, I hate alarm clocks. Why can't they have a pleasant sound to wake people? Like, birds chirping, or really loud rain. Anything other than that loud, obnoxious beeping. I couldn't wait until tomorrow so I could get my paycheck. I was saving up all month for an iPod. I would have gotten it sooner, but Ma was laid off a month ago and we all needed to help financially. Liam and I both gave her the majority of our checks for a while, saving the precious rest for college and beyond. Little Margaret refused her weekly allowance. But now, Ma had gotten a new job, and you could feel it in the air. Everyone was happier. Well, except right now. We hated that alarm clock.

I sleepily glanced up and saw Liam stretching. Margaret woke up only for a second to slam the alarm quiet. She had a while more to sleep since she was only in seventh grade. Lucky booger. Liam was in tenth, and I was ninth. We locked eyes for a moment, and I nodded. He could use the bathroom first. Smiling, he grabbed some of his clothing and ambled to the bathroom. I frowned, but reminded myself that I had to be a good person today. See, if you didn't take the first shower, then you got cold water, AND you had to cook breakfast. It was a lose-lose-lose situation. But, I felt like my karma has sucked lately, and I needed all the good luck I could get for the next couple days. Exams….ahhh. Oh, and Liam wasn't the best cook, either.

Forcing myself out of the warm twin bed, I plodded into our kitchen and glanced in the fridge. Not much, since grocery day was tomorrow. Oh well, we had to make do. Cereal with bananas was just dandy for me.

I left Liam's, Margaret's, and Mom's bowls of cheerios with chopped bananas out on the table, along with a cup of milk each. But I didn't feel like sitting at the table, so I plopped down into Dad's old recliner. I missed Dad. He had died when I was six in a fishing accident. I miss him a lot. Glancing around our small apartment, I realized I really missed Ireland too. At our old house in Ireland, everyone had their own room, and we had three bathrooms. Not one, like now, but three! But, after Dad died, Ma decided it was best we move to the US. Seattle, Washington, to be specific. Why Seattle? No idea.

"Kathleen, go take a shower!" Liam's sudden yell snapped my out of my thinking. He was sitting at the table, fully dressed with wet hair. I walked to the sink to clean my bowl. "Aren't you going to dry your hair?" He snorted, "Won't make a difference."

It was true. When I walked into the bathroom, the tiny window revealed it to be a gray, rainy day. Of course.

The morning went smoothly, without any surprises or variations. I took my cold shower, got dressed, and got ready for school. Liam and I went into Ma's room to tell her goodbye, and Margaret woke up just as we were leaving. The bus was late, as usual, and we got to school late, as usual. So of course, I received a big fat pink detention slip that read KATHLEEN CORMAC. Great.

The rest of the day was boring as ever, but I paid special attention in every one of my classes since Exams were beginning tomorrow. I couldn't wait…

The only thing that brightened my day just the tiniest bit was Kyle. Goodness, he was amazing. Everything the modern teenage girl could ask for. Charming, polite, smart, and extremely kind. Liam called him a pansy behind his back, but I always ignored him.

So, anyway, Kyle sat with our small group of people today. It was pure bliss to talk to him. I honestly can't recall what we talked about, but I'm fine with that. Just so I could assure him that I knew who he was and acknowledged him.

Lunch ended too soon, and the day reverted back to it's boring, dreadful self. The buses finally came, to my relief. On the way home, I began to strategically plan out my day. Attempt to knock out my homework in the hour that I had when I got home, then catch the bus to work. Either that or walk. After work, get home somehow, and help Margaret with dinner. Liam wouldn't be home until seven, Ma until nine-thirty.

I realized I had left my history book at school the moment I sat down at home. Damnit. Good thing that Exam wasn't tomorrow. Recognizing that I now had no homework, I helped Margaret with her algebra. The quadratic formula? No big deal. Once I explained it to her seventh grade style, she understood immediately and no longer needed my help. She was a smart girl. But an odd one, at that. While Liam and I had taken after Dad's looks, Margaret had taken after Ma. Liam and I both had fair, freckly skin, with dark red/brown hair. We were built the same too, exceptionally thin, long limbed, and tremendously tall. (Liam was a proud six foot seven, while I was a healthy five foot eleven.) Meanwhile, Margaret had some of the brightest blonde hair you have ever seen, probably the color would end up with if you spray painted a lemon a light silver. She also was very thin and long limbed, but she was also tiny, barely making it past the five foot mark.

My watch buzzed, indicating it was time to get to work. I changed into my uniform, grabbed my bag, and kissed Margaret goodbye. Running down the steps, I realized I was very, very late. And I had missed the bus too! Ugh! I was going to have to run to work. Luckily, the Subway where I worked wasn't very far. Only a half mile or so.

Thank goodness I was in shape, too. It wasn't until I was turning my last corner that I began breathing a bit heavy from my run/sprint to work. It wasn't until my last corner that I noticed someone was following me, too.


	2. Chapter 2: No Looking Back

He had been on my tail for a good quarter mile. At first, I just thought he was another jogger, trying to squeeze a good jog out of this doom and gloom day. But then I started noticing he was making the same sharp turns I was, forever following me. I started getting worried. Although I could see the Subway from here, I was still a good five minutes away. I bit my lip. I didn't have a cell phone, and if ducked into a nearby store, I would be really late for work. Heck, I was already late. But I kept running, praying that Mr. Stalker wouldn't do anything for a couple minutes.

Unfortunately, I was very, very wrong.

Before I had even made it halfway there, I heard his breathing. I turned my head the tiniest bit and saw he was right there, less than five feet behind me. Shit. Shit. Shit. What now?!?!

Before I could turn to run into a store, he jumped. His arms wrapped around my neck, his body smothered mine. I was just as tall as him, maybe even taller. But he was at least three times wider, and could easily pin me to the ground. I frantically attempted to remember the defensive techniques Liam was showing me last year. Kick him in the groin? No, then he would only bend over farther. Bite him? I tried, only to find his arm slip down from my throat to my upper collarbone just before I could sink my teeth into his fat arm. This entire time, I was struggling and jerking around, attempting to escape his death grip on my chest and waist.

Out of the very corner of my eye, I noticed a large, dark van slowly cruising by. Good! I began screaming at the top of my lungs to get the driver's attention. My capturer cringed back at my screeching, and quietly began cursing.

To my absolute horror, the van pulled up to us with casualty. The driver hopped out, grinning, and grabbed me too. My blood turned to ice, and my body began jerking even harder. I had to get out of their grips. Where were the damn people working in the stores next door? Couldn't they hear, or see what was happening?

I could feel my eyes straining to look around, my lungs sounding more like an animal's than my own. Oh god. Oh god. Please help me.

The men picked my up like I was a sack of potatoes and threw me into the back of their dark van. Great, there was another man there too. That man tied me up and chained me to a railing in the back. The other two jumped into the front two seats. All three were laughing, stealing hungry glances at me once in a while. I stared at them in complete shock and horror, all while trying to breath properly through my nose. (My mouth had been taped closed.)

They continued driving until they reach the abandoned shores of Elliot Bay. There, all three climbed into the back of the truck. They ripped off the tape on my mouth, and most of my clothing until I was just in my underpants and bra. I thought I was going to die of a heart attack before they did whatever they were going to do, (though I had a pretty good idea of what they were going to do.) My original capturer thrust his fat tongue into my mouth, and though I resisted, he hit me until I had no choice to allow him to do whatever. The other men began rip the remainder of my scan clothing off…and…and…

Carisle POV

_Those medical meetings aren't getting any shorter. _After finishing one of the longest discussions on cardiac ultrasounds ever, I was finally able to return home to my family. I missed my dear Esme.

I picked up the seemingly heavy suitcase and began my long trek to my car. But it wasn't that bad, I was able to stare out at Elliot Bay while I was walking. It was beautiful at the moment. A tiny peep of sun had cut the clouds momentarily to make the water sparkle.

Ahh, here was the car. I placed the suitcase in the backseat, and turned to get inside the vehicle. However, the wind changed its direction completely, and I caught the scent of blood. And not just the scent of when a child received a paper cut. There was a lot of blood, and it was close. Enough blood to be fatal for a human. Acting with a doctor's (and vampire's) instinct, I locked the car and walked towards the scent. Fifteen minutes later, I found was something I hoped never to see again.

There was a young woman, most likely fifteen or sixteen, lying on the snowy banks of the Elliot Bay, almost dead. Her body was beaten up, used up, and terribly abused. Her clothes were missing, although scattered around her, and the only thing covering her bare skin was blood, cuts, and brand new bruises. I sucked in my breath, and rushed forward to see her more clearly. Her heartbeat was irregular and fading.

I gently, but quickly, picked her up and ran her to my car. Opening the trunk with one hand, I found a spare hospital gown. But we weren't going to the hospital, there was no way they could save her.

Just then, I was so very thankful that Esme had convinced us to buy a small apartment in Seattle. There was no way this girl could survive all the way to Forks, even if I ran the fastest I possibly could.

Good thing it was dark. I was racing through the almost emptied streets of Seattle, searching for that small apartment. Just in time, I found it. I burst into it, gently placed the girl on the large oak dining table, and bit her.

**Hello! Please read and reveiw, and I shall be forever thankful. I need to know if this story is worth continuing. Thanks muchly! :D**


	3. Chapter 3: Hell

Kathleen POV

After they threw me on the water's snowy bank like yesterday's garbage, they also threw my clothes out too. Disposing of the evidence. Then they slammed the doors closed and sped off.

So I just lay there, alone. It was better than being with those men, but still. The night was becoming darker, and the temperature was dropping fast. The fat rain droplets morphed into fat snowflakes. Slow, plump, salty teardrops raced down my cheeks, stinging any fresh cuts in their paths. I wanted to reach over and try to put on some of my clothes to save myself some dignity when a rescuer came. But I had no strength left, only shame and despair remained. And the more I thought about it with my hazy mind, the chances of a savior coming in time, or at all, was very slim. I sighed dejectedly, hurting as my cracked ribs expanded for my lungs, and as tears fell down my cheeks.

I thought of my family. They had no idea. Margaret would be doing homework, playing, watching tv, or reading to pass time. Ma would be working, as would Liam. They wouldn't have any concern about me for a couple hours. By that time, I would finally be with Dad.

Then, I noticed a change. My heart had been beating bleakly, but regularly, up until then. But just then, I felt it skip a beat, and then irregularly start back up with difficulty. So, this was it. More tears fell, uncontrollably. I felt myself slowly blacking out. Goodbye.

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The next thing I experienced was not what I expected. I didn't see the Pearly Gates, because everything was red. Was I in Hell? Most likely, because I began to feel fire. Fire in my blood, my lungs, my guts, everything in me was composed of burning, burning fire. Everything outside of me was fire, too. I was sure the men who had kidnapped me were doing this.

"STOP IT, STOP IT! YOU'VE DONE ENOUGH TO ME!"

They had to stop! The fire became fiercer and hotter, hotter than I could every imagine. The men had obviously thrown me into the sun. Nothing could be as hot as this. I felt my body writhe and squirm helplessly as my insides and outsides continued to burn. My lungs produced silent screams.

To a certain degree of relief, I felt several firm, cold bars, pin me down to the surface I was lying on. They cooled my burning skin the tiniest bit, but barely helped overall. I continued to burn without mercy. What had I done that was so bad in my life that put me in Hell?

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The burning continued for what seemed like forever. I had no way of keeping time. But then again, I doubt there was time in Hell. Just timeless torture. I decided to stop screaming eventually. It wouldn't help me anyway. My writhing stopped too, since those cold, firm bars were holding me down so well. I wonder if Christ sent those bars to me himself.

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I felt the burning begin to cool. I was in a state of shock when it did. How long had it been? Hours? Minutes? Days? Years? I had no idea.

First the burning left my hands, feet, and head, and moved inward from there. The cooling itself was blissful, yet torturous in it's own slow speed. But I reminded myself to be patient. I also wanted to open my eyes, but I was too scared on what I might see.

Now the burning was only in my poor heart. It was beating ridiculously fast and painfully, while the fire greedily consumed it without pity. Funny, I had a faint recollection of when I was about to die, my heart giving up on me.

Then they were both bone, the fire, and my heart. I panicked. Was I a soulless, heartless being in Hell now? What was happening?

"Hello?"

That one word convinced that I was not in Hell. Nothing that beautiful, pure, and wonderfully musical could possibly belong anywhere in Hell. So that left me wondering, was I in Heaven?

I slowly opened my eyes, first flinching at the extreme brightness. Surprisingly, I found myself looking through eyes of shocking clarity and perception at seven pairs of curious, topaz colored eyes.

**Thanks for reading! Please reveiw, tell me what you think, I'm sure I'll get the next chapter up tomorrow or sometime soon!**


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